JACKSON – The Jersey Devil has been spotted! Experience the thrill of flying through the Pine Barrens on the highly-anticipated Jersey Devil Coaster opening on June 13 at Six Flags Great Adventure.
The new coaster has shattered three world records, becoming the world’s tallest, fastest and longest single-rail coaster. The ride will feature five intense elements and three dramatic inversions inspired by infamous New Jersey mythology of the Jersey Devil.
“He was born in 1735 in the Pine Barrens, actually in Smithville, New Jersey. At first, he was the 13th of 12 children of mother Leeds. Her husband had just left her. So, when she was in labor with the Jersey Devil, she said ‘let it be the devil’ and at first, he was born normal, but then he started turning into the Jersey Devil. He flew out the chimney and into the pine barrens where he has lived since,” Jessica Torres, documentarian, Looking for a Legend, said.
According to modern-day folklore, the beast has been placed near the theme park’s Great Lake. Legend states that the Jersey Devil soars through the woods with its curled horns manifesting under a full moon and attacking its prey at night.
“Jersey Devil folklore has been a source of fear and intrigue here in the Pine Barrens for more than 200 years. We’ll immerse riders in this iconic piece of New Jersey history on our monstrous, new scream machine,” Park President John Winkler said. “Jersey Devil Coaster is the perfect addition to our unrivaled collection of award-winning, innovative, and thrilling roller coasters.”
With dark folklore being the core theme of this attraction, the ride’s statistics eerily add an extra layer of fright. Since the Jersey Devil was the cursed 13th child of Mother Leeds: the coaster is 13 stories tall; the Jersey Devil is the park’s 13th roller coaster; each train carries 12 human passengers, with the Jersey Devil himself as the lead car…a total of 13 riders; and the Jersey Devil will open to the public June 13.
“I think they really did an excellent job. I mean you feel like you’re just flying on the back of the Jersey Devil on this rollercoaster,” Torres said. “They really did a great job with the design and everything.”
“I do think in a sense, let’s make this (ride) something that belongs in Jersey. The ride feels a little devilish. I think it’s really appropriately themed and named,” said Michael Reitz of Six Flags Corporate Engineering.
When creating the Jersey Devil, Reitz explained how the team is always trying to beat a new record.
“When we build a ride, we’re always trying to, if we can, try to make that ‘est’ list, the biggest or the tallest. Some records you’ll never break. I don’t think we’ll break the speed record with Kingda Ka. Not in this park, but the Jersey Devil is fantastic,” Reitz said.
When visiting the Jersey Devil Coaster, fans will adventure through an elaborately-themed entrance portal, with a queue design that shows informative storyboards on the Jersey Devil’s origin. The 12-passanger train sits low on the monorail track due to it being built for a single row rather than multiple people side by side.
“When we were finally able to build a monorail or a single rail that is strong enough to support the train, you end up with the very narrow rail. Physics wise, it would be harder to put two or three people side by side on a rail like that. So naturally you end up in a place where a single person sitting on top of that track is both structurally the best way to do it and from an experience stand point you have your own little car and you’re very close to the track, which is very different from other rides,” Reitz explained.
So, what can fans expect when riding the Jersey Devil? The ride includes a steep, 87-degree first drop, an overbanked cutback and three dramatic inversions, including a 180-degree stall, raven dive and zero-gravity roll.
“My description of the ride, the first time I rode it, it’s not too short, it’s not too long. It’s not too extreme, it’s buttery smooth. It kind of feels like this perfect ride. There’s a perfect amount of excitement and you can ride it over and over and over again,” Reitz said.
Six Flags Members and Season Pass holders got to ride the coaster exclusively before it opened to the public. Once their ride was done, they would hop back in line for the ride again. Many fans explained how this coaster can’t be compared to anything else.
The Jersey Devil Coaster opens to the public on June 13. For more information about Jersey Devil Coaster, and this season at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit sixflags.com/greatadventure.
